Today is 2020’s International Day of Older Persons, and in recognition, the World Health Organization is introducing a data portal that contains global information regarding the health of people around the world who are 60 and over.
This announcement comes at the start of the Decade of Healthy Ageing, to take place from 2020 to 2030. For this ten-year period, the data portal will be used to store information gathered by the WHO, academic institutions like the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global organizations like the World Bank, the International Labor Organization, the UK’s Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs will also contribute data.
This wide-encompassing data portal is the first of its kind. It will include indicators of the well-being of older people like life expectancy, the numbers of individuals who are receiving care or living in residential care facilities, and information about age-friendly living situations. Causes of death will also appear on the data portal, and details regarding each country’s government-supported efforts to promote the health of older people.
The data will be available in maps, charts, and tables so users can visualize and analyze the information according to their specific needs. As well, the data on the portal will be organized according to age, sex, and country. The presentation of the information should enable users to identify trends and patterns across different groups of people and across the globe.
Users of the portal will be able to access data to design country profiles and other valuable resources involved in the development of new policies. The portal can be updated as new data becomes available, heightening awareness of health issues for older people and informing national and global efforts to champion healthy ageing around the world.
